The Prince
by Sith Droideka
Summary: Ash Ketchum has come back into Serena's life for the first time in ten years just as she starts her career as a Pokémon trainer. Now she must struggle between her memories of the kindly child, and the cruel reality she contends with now - Team Flare on one side, Team Rocket on the other, and Ash Ketchum, the Rocket Prince, looming over them all. Genre may change.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: It's been a long time since I've come close to Pokémon fanfiction. Well, I had this story idea and decided to start it. Expect semi-irregular updates... I hope it's enjoyable. At the very least, I hope it's a unique enough idea. Please, enjoy... "The Prince".

* * *

When Serena Yvonne was about five years old, her father had been transferred to the company HQ in Saffron City. She didn't remember that time very well – they moved back to Kalos when she was six, when her father was promoted to head of the Pokéball Factory – so only one thing, or rather, one person, stuck out in her mind: a sad little boy named Ash Ketchum.

She had met him when she was at a Pokémon day camp organized by the famous Professor Samuel Oak. She remembered how he had helped her out after she had sprained her ankle by giving her his handkerchief. She remembered his jet-black hair, the sad look in his brown eyes at seeing her with her father at the end of the camp, and, most vividly… the scar.

Yes, the scar on his back she had seen when he was trying to find his handkerchief. It had been brief – just when his shirt had rid up a little on his back when he bent over after dropping the handkerchief – but she remembered how ugly it was. Looking back, she figured it had to be recent. When she'd asked him, he'd blushed and looked ashamed.

Ten years later, that scar hadn't left her mind. The purple around the thin red scab, the black at the very tips… had it been a Pokémon? Or had it been… man-made?

That question had lingered with her because of the last day of camp. The day when her parents had come to pick her up, as had Ash's. She remembered Ash's mother well enough – a kind-looking woman, a little tired, and a little jittery around Ash's father. And his father – an older man, with a face that scared Serena. Serena remembered how he put a hand on Ash's shoulder when talking to her own parents, and Ash's look had been… nothing. Nothing at all. Just a blank face that had appeared in one or two nightmares since that fateful evening ten years ago.

The last Serena heard of that boy was when news came that Team Rocket had broken into the Ketchum home and killed Ash's mother in cold blood. A couple of weeks later, they came back for his father and killed him too. Ash disappeared, and Serena hadn't heard of him since then.

* * *

Serena lurched out of bed as a Fletchling pecked on her head. "Ow, ow, cut it out!" Serena yelled as she fell completely out of bed. Fletchling twittered something – probably laughing at her, Serena thought – and then hopped out of her room. "I can wake up on my own, you know!" Serena yelled at Fletchling.

Serena began getting ready for the day. She had a year break from school for a Pokémon journey, starting today. From brushing her teeth to putting on her hat, Serena's head teemed with ideas on what to do, what to be: her dreams, her hopes, her desires. Her mother wanted her to be a Rhyhorn rider like her. Her father wanted her to be a contest coordinator like him. But she?

She wanted to be a Pokémon master.

Serena ran to the door before her mom stopped her. "You can't just run off for a year without saying goodbye, Serena!" her mom said, grabbing Serena in a quick bearhug.

"Mama, stop!" Serena squeaked as her mother squeezed her harder.

"Do you even know what Pokémon you're going to get?" her mother said.

"I told you, Fennekin," Serena replied. She tried to push her mother away and said, "don't worry, I'll call. This isn't the last I'll see you."

"I'm sure it isn't," her mother replied, with a knowing motherly look in her eyes. "Now, Lumiose City isn't _too_ far away, but wouldn't you feel safer if Rhyhorn came with you?"

Serena glanced out the window at her mother's pet Rhyhorn. "Uh, no, I'll be fine," Serena said, seeing that he was _definitely_ snoozing. "Mom, don't worry-"

"And we have confirmed that the man on Lumiose Tower is none other than Ash Ketchum himself!"

Serena froze when she heard that name. Her mother didn't seem to notice and said, "oh, sounds like Fletchling turned the mute off again." She headed off towards the TV, and Serena glanced past her mother at the TV.

A defiant-looking black-haired boy with a Pikachu on his shoulder was being shown by helicopter camera. The camera zoomed in, and Serena was that his hair was windswept but handsome, his dark brown eyes gleaming with thrill, and in his other hand he had a burlap bag.

"We have you surrounded, Ash Ketchum!" Serena heard a voice say off-screen. Serena blinked. What was going on?

"This Garchomp is coming with me!" Ash yelled, directly into the camera. The camera panned slightly to show a mutated-looking Garchomp roaring.

"As if you can take property of the Pokémon League!" an offscreen voice sneered.

"Everything is Team Rocket's!" Ash replied. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

The Pikachu nodded and then jumped off his shoulder. "Pika-CHUUUU!"

There was an explosion, and the camera panned again to show a police helicopter spiraling off. "Oh my, this is quite exciting," Serena's mother said. "Ash Ketchum… he sounds familiar…"

The camera panned again to Ash, who had dropped his burlap bag to reveal a Froakie. The camera zoomed in again to show Ash fighting the Garchomp with the Froakie, handily knocking it closer and closer to the edge. "Now!" he yelled as soon as it reached the ledge.

And then a giant, Meowth-head-shaped balloon emerged on the side of Lumiose Tower and shot past the Garchomp, a giant net snatching Garchomp up. Ash, Pikachu, and Froakie ran the length of the tower and jumped up, grabbing the side of the net, and then the balloon headed off to the distance. "It seems that once again, the feared 'Rocket Prince' Ash Ketchum has pulled off another of his heists," the anchorwoman said as the camera switched to her, "and-"

And then Serena's mom muted it again. "Well, that was enough excitement for me," she said, and she turned to Serena. "Serena? Is something wrong?"

"…no, mama," Serena said. And then she ran back upstairs and began digging through her closet until she found it.

His old handkerchief (cleaned many years ago, of course). She wadded it into her bag and then ran back out the door.

She had another goal now: find this Rocket Prince. It was the least she could do to find out what had really happened with that scar.

* * *

As Serena ran towards Lumiose City, she saw the Meowth-shaped balloon soaring off into the sky, dogged by several police helicopters. Every so often, a Thunderbolt blast one out of the sky, but another two would emerge to chase. However, none of their shots – Pokémon or bullet – seemed to be working. Serena tried to get a closer look, but she simply couldn't see far enough to tell what else was going on. The only clear thing: the Rockets were getting away.

Serena ran into Lumiose City and passed huge crowds watching the chase. There were already several plumes of smoke around the city – one coming from Lumiose Tower in the middle, the rest all smaller ones, probably from downed helicopters. "First things first," Serena said aloud, "a Pokémon."

She arrived at Professor Sycamore's lab to find him and two of his assistants staring up at the sky, watching the chase themselves. "Professor Sycamore!" Serena practically shouted, almost too excited to hold back, before freezing up and saying, "uh, sir… I'd like a Pokémon now."

Sycamore glanced down from the chase to look at her. "Oh, Serena Yvonne!" Sycamore said, and he curtsied and said, "of course, my old friend."

"We can keep watch out here," one of his assistants said.

"Thank you, Sina, Dexio," Sycamore said. He gestured to his lab and said, "come in, please."

Serena entered to find it a bit of a smoking wreck. "What happened here?" Serena said, staring at the devastation.

"It seems we were used as a distraction," Sycamore said. "A man, a woman, and a talking Meowth tried to break into our Pokémon stores. When the police arrived, Lumiose Tower suddenly exploded, and they ran off…" he chuckled and said, "glad to see that my Garchomp showed up, though, after going missing for a few months."

"But Team Rocket has it now," Serena said.

Sycamore nodded, and his smile drooped a little. "I'm sure the police will get him back, but… I feel as if I won't see him again even if they do," Sycamore said. "Someone stole him away in the middle of the night, and, well…" he shook his head and said, "Serena. You are embarking on a Pokémon journey. You must choose wisely and-"

"I pick Fennekin!" Serena said quickly.

Sycamore blinked. "Well, uh, that's good, actually…" he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Froakie escaped earlier today and he was with Ketchum, and I already promised Chespin to Clemont…" he coughed and said, "Serena. You have taken an important first step. Let me give you a Pokédex, and then you can go on your way."

He pulled a Pokédex out of his coat and handed it to Serena, together with Fennekin's Pokéball. "Thanks!" Serena said, and she ran out the door before Sycamore could say anything more.

When she emerged back outside, the balloon was gone, and the choppers were only faintly heard in the sky. "Oh, simply terrible, isn't it?" said a gray-haired woman wearing a maroon dress by Sycamore's attendants.

"That Garchomp theft?" the man said, and he nodded. "That was ours originally."

"Oh my," the maroon woman said, "restolen?"

"So it seems," Sycamore said, emerging from his lab. He glanced at Serena and chuckled. "Still here, Serena?"

"I'm sure she's just wondering about that chase too," the maroon woman said. She giggled a little and said, "those poor police, overworked, underpaid, and not used to dealing with such hardened criminals." She sighed and pulled a Pokéball out from her belt. "Come, Noivern. Let us deal with this criminal scum."

A huge Noivern emerged from her Pokéball, and the maroon woman hopped on its back before they both flew off. "So that's Drasna," the woman assistant said, whistling. "Do you think she'll bring Garchomp back to us?"

Sycamore said nothing.

Serena looked between the three and said, "that's an Elite 4 member, right?" Serena said, "surely she will-"

"I don't know, Serena," Sycamore replied. "I just don't know." He frowned and said, "I feel sorry for the kid, though. He's only 15, right? And facing certain death."

Serena turned her back on the lab and started running after Drasna.

* * *

"Dragon incoming!"

Ash, the Rocket Prince, didn't even bother looking up at Meowth's alarm. "What do we do, sirs?" James said.

"Do you want to handle this?" Ash said, glancing sideways at his companion.

His companion smiled. "I'd love to," he said.

Ash glanced up to watch his companion dramatically toss aside his cloak to reveal Mewtwo. "Have fun," was all Ash said.

* * *

Mewtwo jumped out of the balloon and willed himself to stay in the air. In the distance, he saw a Noivern rocketing towards him. A tiny pinpoint of orange light emerged in the distance.

All Mewtwo did was smirk.

Noivern shot a Hyper Beam at Mewtwo, but in a second, the beam was redirected into the ground, digging a huge gorge in the forest beneath. Then Mewtwo waited for Drasna to draw closer.

They always did. Everyone wanted to catch Mewtwo.

Sure enough, Drasna drew closer. "The Rocket Prince's little underling, eh?" Drasna said.

"Underling? I didn't know people like you knew how to joke," Mewtwo said.

"People like me?" Drasna snarked.

"Fellow crooks," Mewtwo snarked back. He held up his hand and beckoned.

Drasna took the bait. "Noivern! Dragon Pulse!"

Mewtwo swerved between the Dragon Pulses that Noivern sent at him – taking special care to make sure that he was below Noivern always. "You inferior life forms are so entertaining," Mewtwo said after five or six pulses, "so incapable of weighing all of your actions. It's almost pathetic."

"What do you mean by that, Mewtwo?" Drasna said. "Another Hyper Beam!"

Mewtwo deftly dodged another beam that blasted past him and down into the forest. "I mean, humans constantly see themselves as the superior beings of this planet. Too bad they made their own superior," Mewtwo said as he dodged a powerful Flamethrower.

"You?" Drasna scoffed.

"Me," Mewtwo said. "The one who runs rings around even the greatest of fighters." Noivern blasted another Flamethrower at him, and Mewtwo easily deflected it with Psychic down into the forest below. Then, with a bit more of Psychic, he fanned the flames across the forest. "How about you look down, Drasna?"

Drasna glanced down from her Noivern – and visibly paled. "The forest," she whispered.

She tried to send out a Pokéball, but Mewtwo cracked it with Psychic. "There will be no help from Dragalge now," Mewtwo hissed. Then he charged up his own Flamethrower and sent huge columns of flame below. "People and Pokémon will be in danger, Drasna. This is the future you want, yes? Well, you still have to play your part – just like I have to play mine."

He chuckled as he watched Drasna put away her Pokéball, look between Mewtwo, the retreating Team Rocket balloon, and the forest, and then fly off again towards Lumiose City.

Mewtwo smiled – yet another plan that had gone perfectly, enabled by the stupidity of nitwits and cowards – when something below caught his senses.

He looked down at the forest entrance and narrowed his eyes. Down below, watching him amidst all the flames… was a girl with a Fennekin, a scorched bicycle right beside her. "Stupid kid," Mewtwo muttered to himself, and with a single flick, he knocked her out of the forest, along with all the other humans and Pokémon he could detect in the area. "Back to work."

And he flew off after the balloon.

* * *

Serena had biked as fast as she could on a rideshare bike towards where Ash Ketchum and his balloon had gone. She had then wound up following on a forest bike path, and then jumped off just in time to avoid being hit by a Flamethrower from the Noivern above. After watching the lone, floating figure in the sky run circles around an Elite Four member, and then start burning the forest down, some force had grabbed her and flung her out of the forest. She had started blacking out midair.

When she woke up, she was surrounded by Joltiks and Galvantulas. She tried to move, but found she was covered in electrical webbing. "Fennekin," Serena said, her heart starting to beat faster, "Fennekin, where-"

"Fenne!"

Serena managed to get her head free enough of the webbing to glance at the side and see that Fennekin was also wrapped up. The Galvantulas and Joltiks were skittering about, their mandibles clicking and occasionally crackling with electricity. Serena's heart sank as one of the Joltiks started approaching her. She could almost tell it was dinnertime for that… that thing. Who'd've thought that day one as a trainer would end with her eaten alive?

She closed her eyes as the Joltik reached her. She prepared for the bite…

And then felt the Joltik start nuzzling her face. Serena barely opened one eye to see that the Joltik looked happy, its eyes closed as it nuzzled up against her hair.

And then Serena heard human laughter. "Looks like they've taken a liking to you!"

The web that Serena was in suddenly lurched and she dropped out of the web… and the tree it was in… and fell ten feet to the ground into a pile of leaves. She screamed like a little girl on the way down. Fennekin landed next to her, and then the Joltik right onto her head.

"Get it off of me!" Serena screamed, but the Joltik was hanging on to her hair as Serena tried desperately to pull it away. And then, because that hurt too much, Serena just fell to the ground and crossed her arms, irate at the spider and at whoever had laughed at her.

Speaking of…

"Joltiks and Galvantulas aren't native to Kalos," said a blue-eyed blond boy with thick saucer-plate glasses and a blue jumpsuit. He crouched next to Serena and started petting the Joltik in her hair. "But they love static electricity, and I guess your hair is good for that."

"Is this the forest you got your Galvantula from, Clemont?" said a little blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl who ran up to them, "oh, sorry, miss!"

"Oh, no, it's ok," Serena said. She decided to ignore the Joltik and glanced up at the next of Galvantulas watching them. "Do they not care?"

"They all have trainers normally, I bet," Clemont replied. "They'd probably be fine with you taking one of the babies and toughening it up."

"But I don't-"

"Don't be silly, they're great Pokémon!" Clemont said. "You're a trainer, right?"

"Yeah, a new one," Serena said. She sighed and said, "but I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Clemont nodded. "Probably that forest Team Rocket lit on fire," he said, glancing up at the sky, past the Galvantulas.

Serena looked past him to see a plume of smoke overhead. "The wind blew it over…" she said.

Clemont nodded. "Team Rocket broke into the tower and almost stole our Pokémon!" the little girl said. She stomped her foot and said, "we're gonna make them pay!"

"Let's not be too hasty, Bonnie," Clemont said. He helped Serena to her feet and said, "I'm Clemont, and this is my little sister Bonnie. If you're a trainer, would you like to travel with us?"

Serena blinked. "Why do you need my help?" Serena said, "I've been a trainer for less than a day."

"Fenne," Fennekin said, nodding.

"We could use a little extra manpower," Clemont said. "Think of it this way… we're on the trail of Team Rocket. If you help us with that, then we can help you with your goal."

"Becoming the Kalos Champion?" Serena said.

"That'd be fine with us!" Bonnie said. "Besides… I don't want to travel with just Clemont. He's boring."

"I am _not_ boring!" Clemont said quickly, turning slightly red with embarrassment as he whipped around to face her. "I- I-"

"You what?" Bonnie said. She laughed and said, "see, this is why we need you along, Ms-"

"Serena," Serena said. She looked back up at the smoke. Clemont… the name was familiar from somewhere. Something to do with Sycamore… "Do you two know a man called Meyer?"

"The gym leader of Lumiose?" Clemont said, and he glanced at Bonnie. They both nodded. "He's our father. Why?"

Serena nodded. Two children of a gym leader… this was a real stroke of luck. "Just wondering," Serena replied. "I'm in."

* * *

Serena's new traveling companions were quite talkative. The main thing that she picked up from them was that they didn't know about the Garchomp in Lumiose Tower either. That was quite odd.

"It'll probably be a couple of days travel before we reach Santalune City," Clemont said, looking at his map, "that's where your first gym is."

"Can I go somewhere else for a gym?" Serena said.

Clemont nodded, but added, "Team Rocket's damaged the gym too much to be used right now. So Santalune is your next-closest."

"Miss Viola is the gym leader! She's a photographer and a Bug-type leader!" Bonnie said.

Speaking of bugs, Serena had caught that Joltik from earlier and was letting it stay in its Pokéball. She had already had to fix her hair after it went all staticky. In the distance, fire department helicopters were putting out the fire that Team Rocket started. And the sun had almost set.

"Fenne?" Fennekin said. It was trotting alongside Serena. It nodded at the sunset and said, "Fennekin."

"I think Fennekin's right," Serena said, "it's almost time to make camp."

"I'll get a fire going!" Bonnie said.

"Wait," Clemont said, "I can do the fire, using my new machine! Bonnie, please get some wood."

Bonnie sighed and headed off towards the fringe of the forest. "What about me?" Serena said.

"Just leave the fire to me, you can set up your tent," Clemont said dismissively. He pulled a huge, impressive-looking machine from nowhere.

Serena was halfway through setting up her tent when the machine suddenly exploded, sending up a plume of fire and landed on the wood in Bonnie's hands, setting the wood on fire. Bonnie ran forward and tossed the burning logs into the firepit. "A-another successful invention!" Clemont said, while Bonnie shot a glare at him and helped Serena finish the tent.

The three of them had a nice dinner, prepared by Serena, and put out the fire with the help of Clemont's Bunnelby. "Hopefully we find Team Rocket soon and get some answers," Bonnie said. She yawned and went into her tent.

"Good night, Serena," Clemont said, and he, too, went into his tent.

Leaving Serena to watch the last smolders of the fire in the forest in the darkness. "What happened to Ash Ketchum to make him want to burn down a whole forest?" Serena said to Fennekin.

Fennekin yawned and curled up. Serena sighed.

Joltik's Pokéball opened and Joltik appeared next to Serena's hair again. "Go ahead, eat your electricity," Serena said, and she laid down against a tree trunk. So this was training? "I suppose I should go to bed soon."

And then she realized there was another plume of smoke, barely in the distance… "do you think it's another fire?" she said to Joltik.

Joltik glanced at Serena and raised its front arms, almost as if it were shrugging. "Let's go investigate," she said.

Serena, Fennekin, and Joltik crept out of camp and towards the forest. "If it's a fire, we have to run," Serena whispered to the two.

The both nodded.

They drew closer and closer to the fire, and Serena quickly realized it wasn't a fire.

What it _was_ , though, was a deflated Team Rocket balloon next to some tents of its own. A fire was out here as well, and the smoke she'd seen had probably been from when they had put it out. A huge Charizard was snoring behind one of the tents, but other than that, there were no Pokémon around.

She just had to get out of her and call the police now-

"Call the police? Why? To rat us out, Serena Yvonne?"

Serena froze. A glimmering, translucent dull pink blade was pressed against her throat. She hadn't even seen it emerge. Fennekin and Joltik both yelped, but they both seemed frozen. Serena tried to say something, but she couldn't. Either she was too afraid, or something was holding her mouth closed.

"You can just think. I read thoughts."

Serena wanted nothing more than to turn around and see the source of the voice in her head. And then, as if in an answer to that plea, she was lifted off her feet and slowly rotated.

In front of her was a cloaked figure. She couldn't tell past that – the figure's face was entirely shrouded in darkness, its arms so long and baggy that she saw not even any hands or fingers as the figure pointed at her. The cloak fell to the ground, but Serena had the impression that the figure was floating.

"I saved your life already, Serena," the figure said. It chuckled and said, "are humans so quick to seek death?"

Serena swallowed. She still couldn't open her mouth. Her life – and the day's events – flashed through her mind. Waking up, seeing the broadcast, getting Ash's handkerchief, getting a starter, meeting Bonnie and Clemont-

"Ash's handkerchief?" the figure said. "What are you talking about?"

Serena's mouth unbound. "Help me!" Serena screamed instantly.

"No one can hear you inside the Trick Room," the figure said, almost lazily. "I don't want anyone stumbling upon us. Now tell me-"

"Mewtwo, what's going on?"

It was a voice Serena had only barely heard on TV. Ash. "She snuck up on us," the figure said.

"She can't be much older than me. Let her go," Ash said.

Serena and her Pokémon were dropped to the ground. Instantly, Serena started coughing. "Do what you want," Mewtwo replied.

Serena stopped coughing and felt someone put their hand on her shoulder. She glanced up to see Ash looking down at her. He looked a little different from what she remembered – for example, the scar across his right eye, but he smiled and said, "sorry about my friend. Can I help you?"

"Do you – do you remember me?" Serena said.

Ash blinked, but comprehension dawned on him when Serena pulled the handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to him. "You're that girl from ten years ago!" Ash exclaimed, "I can't believe we met again! How funny!"

"Yeah," Serena said, sitting up. "Ash… why are you with Team Rocket?"

Ash looked away, and a mirthless smile appeared on his face. "That's a story for another time, Serena. So… do you want to join us, or something?"

"I want to know why you attacked Lumiose Tower," Serena said. "And I'll never join a bunch of crooks!"

"This is what, your first day?" Ash said, glancing over at Fennekin and Joltik. "Joltik, that's not very rare… but a Fennekin…"

"Fenne?"

"What're you talking about?" Serena said, "what does this have to do-"

"Garchomp and Mega-evolution will be better served under Team Rocket than Team Flare," Ash replied. "And if you won't be joining us, then you're probably just gonna try and have me and Pikachu and Mewtwo and the others arrested, won't you?"

"Ash-"

"Pikachu, use Thunderwave."

Serena was suddenly hit by a Thunderwave and felt her whole body seize up. "Why?" she whispered.

"You were really nice to me back then, so I'm gonna leave you here," Ash said. "But I need some insurance… if you play along, then you get Fennekin back. You keep trying to hunt us down, you never see him again."

"Fennekin?" Serena whispered as she the tent open and three figures step out: a lavender-haired man, a purple-haired woman, and a Meowth.

"Anotha Pokémon for da boss?" the Meowth said, walking towards Ash and Serena.

"That's right," Ash said, "put it with the other hostages."

"Gotcha," the lavender-haired man said. He picked up Fennekin – who was still paralyzed – and shoved her into a bag.

"Fennekin!" Serena said.

"What about the Joltik?" the purple-haired woman said.

"Leave it, Jessie," Ash said. "The Boss doesn't need more Joltiks. Besides…" Ash glanced down at Serena and smirked. "I want to see what this girl's gonna do."

"What do you mean?"

"I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of you," Ash said. "Mewtwo, you can release Joltik now."

Joltik fell out of the sky, where it had been hovering, and fell to Serena's side. It instantly got up and started cracking with electricity, but a Wobbuffett out of nowhere appeared and started absorbing the blast. "Goodbye, Serena Yvonne," Mewtwo said as the balloon began inflating.

"Hope ta see you again!" the Meowth said as he leapt into the balloon.

"Later!" Jessie and James said in unison, jumping behind Meowth, Fennekin still in James' hands.

The tent began folding itself up. "Good luck, Serena," Ash said. "I hope you can pull off the dream I never could." He dropped the handkerchief next to her and walked towards the balloon and the Charizard.

And then Serena could do nothing but watch, helplessly, as the Team Rocket balloon took flight and soared off into the sky, followed by the huge Charizard – leaving her with nothing but Joltik, an unwanted handkerchief, and her own tears.


	2. Chapter 2

Surskit fell to the ground, its legs twitching from electricity. "Surskit is unable to battle!" Clemont said, "Gym Leader Viola! Send out your next Pokémon!"

Serena watched emotionlessly as Viola sent out her Vivillion. A quick look at the Pokédex confirmed that it was a Flying-type. This would be easy.

On the field in front of her, Joltik was crackling with electricity. "Does the challenger wish to switch Pokémon?" Clemont added.

"No," Serena replied.

It had been a week since she lost Fennekin to Ash and Team Rocket. She had done all things you were supposed to do: report the crime, tell the police where it had happened, keep a closer watch in the future…

But she couldn't get over the fact that she was a complete idiot. Her own foolishness had caused her to lose her Fennekin on day one. Her starter now was effectively a Joltik, and for the last week she had been too numb to do anything besides train it. She said little to Bonnie and Clemont, and besides eating, sleeping, and training, the only thing she had done was catch a Budew so she could fight Viola.

She was a wreck.

"Begin!" Clemont said.

"Vivillion," Viola said, "use-"

"Electroball," Serena said to Joltik. Vivillion didn't even have time to move before Joltik slammed into it and began shocking it.

"Vivillion, hurry! Knock it off!" Viola said, looking frightened.

But it was too late. Joltik was very good at clinging to things, as Serena had learned a week ago, and less than a minute later, Vivillion slumped to the ground, unconscious. "Good job," Serena said. She returned Joltik and walked up to Viola. "Badge, please."

Viola looked at her Vivillion, returned it, and then sighed and said, "here you go, Serena." She looked at Clemont and said, "and uh, I think you guys should get some rest."

"Can't," Serena replied. "I've gotta train."

"Why? To become a Pokémon master?" Viola said.

"No. To kill Team Rocket," Serena replied. She didn't wait for Bonnie or Clemont to join her as she walked out.

* * *

Serena lay in bed at the Pokémon Center, staring up at the ceiling. Her room was a private one, so the only living things in there were a potted plant, Serena herself, Joltik (who had tired of trying to eat Serena's static electricity and had gone to sleep instead) and Budew, which was also sleeping next to a tray of water in the bathroom.

How she wished she could sleep too.

For the last six nights, she had had the same nightmare: meeting Ash, watching him steal Fennekin, and then leave. Each dream, his laughter got louder and uglier. And each time, she woke up when that handkerchief, that _stupid_ handkerchief, fell to the ground next to her.

The handkerchief that, when she rolled to her side, she was staring at. She hated the stupid thing… but she couldn't bring herself to get rid of it. Not yet. In a way, it was a connection to Fennekin, and to her now-crumbling dreams.

A Pokémon master that loses her starter Pokémon. What kind of loser does that!? She suppressed a scream of frustration and decided to try and sleep instead.

* * *

"What's your name?"

"I'm Ash. Ash Ketchum."

"I'm Serena! Serena Yvonne!"

A little girl stuck her hand out for a little boy to shake. The boy stepped forward and cautiously shook it.

"Thank you for helping me," the girl said.

"Of course! Momma always says to help people in trouble," the boy replied.

"That's what my momma says too!"

The girl tried to stand up, but she quickly cried out in pain. "Don't step on your hurt foot! That's bad!" the boy said.

"Sorry."

The girl looked at the boy expectantly. "What's wrong?" the boy said.

"Well, you should help me walk out of the forest, right? Daddy says guys are always supposed to help girls."

The boy looked down. "Hm… ok."

There was a roaring from somewhere.

"What was that?" the girl said.

"That… that was my Charizard," the boy said.

Suddenly the boy shot up in size. A scar grew over his eye, his clothes morphed into a black suit. "Fennekin!" Serena cried.

"Sorry, Serena," Ash replied, stepping towards Serena, who now felt paralyzed and stuck in a child's body, "but Fennekin is mine. Pikachu… Thunderbolt. Stop her heart."

A Pikachu appeared in the sky, its eyes glowing red. "Pi-KAAAAAA-"

Serena woke up.

* * *

It was easy to break into a gym, once you knew what you were doing.

The thing was that gym leaders were predictable. The League sent out recommendations on what to use to guard your gym, such as Pokémon that were strong against your main type's weakness. Make sure to spread out your valuables. Train your Pokémon to be unruly if stolen by criminal teams. And so on and so on.

To any normal criminal, robbing a gym was madness.

And to any normal criminal, robbing one while the gym leader was there was absolute and sheer madness, especially if your hyper-powerful partner is off doing other business.

But Ash Ketchum was no normal criminal.

"You ready, Sceptile?" Ash asked his trusty Sceptile, one of his strongest Pokémon since Hoenn.

"Scept!"

"And Pikachu?" Ash asked his Pikachu.

Pikachu nodded.

Ash snapped his fingers, and the plan begun. Sceptile quickly ran up the side of the gym and, with a lightning-fast Leaf Blade, carved a circle in the glass. Then, Sceptile stomped hard on the glass, shattering it.

Instantly, alarms began going off all over the building. "Da easiest trick in da world," Meowth said. Ash nodded.

Sceptile jumped down into the building, followed by Pikachu. "Let's go," Ash said, and he and Meowth jumped down after them.

No enemy Pokémon had showed up yet. "Which way, boss?" Meowth said.

"Take Sceptile and head towards the computers. I'll find Viola," Ash replied.

Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and the two of them ran down the hallways. With a quick Thunderbolt, Pikachu took out all of the lights as they ran. Ash, who was used to working in darkness, quickly acclimated to the dark. His pitch-black clothes and deep red R would be easy to blend in.

Pikachu ran a little ahead of Ash. "A Pikachu!?" Ash heard a woman say. He frowned. That wasn't Viola.

And sure enough, the reporter Alexa stepped into the darkness. "The Rocket Prince," she said, "I should've known."

"You should've," Ash replied, "where's your sister?"

"Probably going to stop your thieves," Alexa said. She smiled and put one hand on her belt. "Well, 'Ethan', care for a Pokémon battle?"

"Oh, not right now," Ash said. He dropped a Pokéball behind his back and said, "though I'm impressed you remember Ethan."

"How is that impressive?" Alexa said. She threw an Unfezant out and said, "you robbed the Unova League champion of all of his Eeveelutions in broad daylight."

"No thanks for dealing with Team Plasma?" Ash said, smirking.

"Some hero you turned out to be," Alexa said dryly.

Ash started laughing and said, "thank you, Alexa, you make me proud. Now, if you wouldn't mind…"

Pikachu jumped onto Unfezant, bristling with electricity. "Unfezant, use-"

And then Alexa was cut out as a Heracross slammed directly into her, sending her soaring through the air, smashing her into the wall and then crumpling to the ground. Ash threw a deployable net over her. "Only a few seconds before she wakes up," he muttered as Heracross brought Unfezant's Pokéball to Ash.

Ash continued towards the front of the gym. "Pika?"

"That's right, buddy," Ash said, as they heard Alexa start yelling bloody murder behind them. "Heracross, help her out in a few minutes, will ya?"

Heracross dashed off. About a minute later, Ash arrived in the main hall of the gym. It was cold, silent, and empty. But Ash knew there were almost certainly going to be Pokémon lying in wait in her.

He smiled. Let them come. "Charizard, I choose you," Ash said. He threw his Pokéball with great gusto, letting Charizard – one of his oldest Pokémon, a behemoth of a Charizard too – into the central arena.

Instantly, the arena floor fired up. Security personnel ran into the room and surrounded the ring. The door behind Ash sealed shut and a guard pointed a gun at Ash. "Cocky, aren't you, kid?" the guard said.

"Of course," Ash replied, "I was just waiting for some kindling."

The guard narrowed her eyes and raised her gun at Ash. And then Ash snapped his fingers.

Instantly, the intercom system began filling with smooth jazz. Charizard took flight as Pokémon after Pokémon surrounded him. And then Ash shot forward, grabbed the gun from the guard, and shot her in the arm. She cried in pain and turned away, clutching her arm, and he began shooting into the arena, cracking the overhead glass.

And then the glass shattered and began falling haphazardly. "What was the point of that?" the guard snarled as Ash tossed the gun aside.

"All League gyms are equipped with fire-retardant systems in case of particularly fierce battles, including automatic oxygen deprivation systems," Ash recited in a sing-song voice. Then he snapped his fingers again.

Charizard bellowed and began spewing fire around the gym. Pokémon after Pokémon was knocked out by his fire, and the survivors were shocked by Pikachu until they went down too. "I went toe-to-toe with champions and you thought you could beat me?" Ash said as the guards started shooting at him.

But none of the bullets hit, instead slamming into an invisible wall mid-air. "What was that!?" one of the guards shouted.

As if in answer, an Inkay drifted down next to Ash. "Sorry we're late," said James, appearing on one side of Ash.

"We went a little long stealing the gas," Jessie added. She was on Ash's other side.

"G-gasoline!?" another guard shouted as Inkay began merrily sending a stream of gasoline to douse the walls and floors of the arena.

"Run," Ash said.

The guards returned their Pokémon and ran. He waited for the guard he'd shot in the arm to finish hobbling away before saying, "alright, Charizard. Light it up and wreak some havoc outside."

Pikachu returned to Ash's side as Charizard bellowed and flew to the shattered windows. Then he send down an enormous Fire Blast into the gym, instantly igniting it, and flew outside. "Let's go get Meowth and Sceptile," Jessie said. The other two nodded.

* * *

When Serena woke up, she heard sirens outside and an ugly orange flickering from the window. It didn't take long for the acrid smell of a gas fire to make itself known either. She jumped out of bed and rushed to the window.

Outside, just down the block from the Pokémon Center, Viola's gym was on fire. Firemen were trying to douse the flames and policemen surrounded the gym, but human and Pokémon alike were being driven off by attacks from a huge Charizard.

Serena's blood ran cold. A huge Charizard. That meant… Ash.

She looked down at the street and saw an ambulance. Unifrmed guards were being looked over by paramedics it looked like. Another ambulance pulled up, and the first ambulance's doors shut and it sped off. It wasn't going to the Pokémon Center – it had to be a hurt human. Did Ash try and kill someone?

Would it really surprise her?

He made her sick.

Serena was dressed in less than five minutes and running down the block. Joltik was clinging to her hat. Of course, she didn't run directly to the gym, but rather towards the rear entrance.

There, too, were police. They were trying to break down the back entrance, which looked currently blocked. The fire was the front half of the gym, so the back half had to be where her Fennekin was.

"Miss," a teal-haired police officer said once Serena drew close, "this is a restricted area. Please stay back."

Serena bit her lip but obeyed. She had no idea how many crooks were there, especially since Ash seemed to have his own little band with him last time.

Another officer ran up to the teal-haired cop. "Jenny, ma'am!" the officer said, saluting, "we have reports of a second break-in at Lysandre Labs!"

"What?" the teal-haired cop, Jenny, said, and she looked from the gym to the officer. "How bad?"

"They say there's reports of a-"

And then, with a solid _thunk_ and the sound of shattering glass, a plume of thick black smoke emerged further into the town. What sounded like fire alarms were lighting up the night, and more and more trainers were emerging into the streets.

Clemont and Bonnie ran up to Serena. "We just heard!" Bonnie said, "someone tried to blow up Lysandre Labs!"

"What's that?" Serena said.

"It's a subsidiary of the XYZ Corporation," Clmeont replied. "They make consumer electronics – you know, stuff like smart phones or Pokédexes."

Serena frowned. "Would there even be anyone there at this time of night?" she said.

"Maybe a few security guards," Bonnie replied. She looked at the gym and said, "and the gym…"

"It was a distraction," Jenny suddenly yelled, and she threw her cap to the ground. "We have to go stop those perps! Viola can handle some small-time crook – leave a couple of cops to catch them afterwards."

"Sir!" the other cops said, saluting, and then most of them dashed off after Jenny, their Pokémon in tow.

"What's such a big deal about that place?" Clemont said.

"Who cares, we have to go and save Miss Viola!" Bonnie said.

"The cops have this covered, I'm sure-" Clemont started saying, but he stopped as the door burst open and a Sceptile bounded out, grabbed both cops left behind, and then threw them past Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.

"A Sceptile!" Bonnie said, suddenly very excited.

The Sceptile seemed to notice, as it leaned against the doorway, crossed it arms, and closed its eyes. A straw was dangling out of nowhere. "Scept," the Sceptile said. For a moment, Serena was struck by how cool the Sceptile seemed.

And then she remembered that this was a criminal Pokémon. "We don't care what you are, you're not going to stop us from stopping Ash!" Serena yelled.

The Sceptile made a sound like chuckling and then just… stepped out of the way and beckoned inside. "Sceptile," it said.

"I think he wants us to follow him!" Bonnie said.

"Follow him into a burning building full of dangerous criminals!?" Clemont said, "Bonnie, please tell me you're not that stupid!"

"Scept," Sceptile said, and it gestured inside again.

"Maybe it's Viola's?" Bonnie said.

"If he's gonna let me run in and stop Ash, then I'm gonna take it," Serena said. "Right, Joltik?"

Joltik trilled in agreement.

"Serena, no, this is how you got into this in the first place!" Clemont yelled as Serena ran into the building, Sceptile close behind her.

Sceptile made no move against her as she raced through the dark hallways. "Sceptile," the Sceptile said, but Serena couldn't tell what it was trying to say. They ran into a larger hallway in a room filled with framed pictures on the wall. One of the doors nearby was torn off its hinges, and the sound of a Pokémon battle was going on.

"Is that Viola?" Serena said.

The Sceptile nodded and jumped in front of the entrance. Then he looked down at the broken door and his arm-leaves glowed green. A few seconds later, he had finished slicing something into the door, then picked it up and hurled it right next to Serena.

She looked down.

"IF YOU THINK WE ARE BAD," the scratches read, "THEN YOU HAVEN'T SEEN FLARE YET."

"Flare?" Serena said, but Sceptile shot a high-powered Bullet Seed that shredded the door. "What's Flare?"

Sceptile raced back down the hallway, and Serena followed him. As she grew closer to the fight, she saw a Froakie battling a Vivillion. "You know," Ash said, staring intently at Viola, "if I win I get a badge, right?"

"You break in, burn my gym down, wipe my computers and steal my Pokémon and want a badge too!?" Viola demanded.

"Isn't it League rules?" Ash said, mockingly. He glanced over at Sceptile and Serena and said, "nice of you to join us again! You're lucky that Joltik isn't very rare."

"Give me Fennekin back!" Serena yelled.

"Sorry, don't have her," Ash replied. "Sceptile, how's the progress?"

"Scept!"

"Go help him then," Ash said. Sceptile bounded off, leaving Serena to watch the fight. "Anyways, Serena, right? Well, Fennekin is safely in Team Rocket hands now. If you want her, you're gonna have to find us, break in, beat me in single combat, and take back what's yours with your own two hands."

"And expect another dirty trick, huh?" Serena said. She jostled Joltik slightly with her shoulder, who nodded at her.

"All's fair in love and war, Serena," Ash said.

"Quite," Serena replied. "Electroweb!"

Joltik hopped of Serena's shoulder lightning-quick and shot an Electroweb at Ash. Before it could hit, Pikachu jumped in the way, crackling with electricity. "Now!" Serena yelled.

And then Joltik shot a second web, a normal Spider Web, at Pikachu, entangling him and sending him to the floor. "Pikachu!" Ash said, and then Froakie was blasted away by Vivillion.

"Vivillion, Sleep Powder on Ketchum!" Viola yelled.

Vivillion rushed towards Ash, but a Heracross came flying out of nowhere and tackled it to the ground. "Where's the hostage?" Ash said.

"Hera!" Heracross said.

"What? Since when does she-"

The wall exploded and a Noivern, smaller than Drasna's but still quite large, emerged. "Don't count me out so soon, Ketchum," said a brown-haired woman who looked like Viola.

"Alexa!" Viola said.

"Ladies," Ash said, backing up, "it seems that perhaps, things aren't going as well as I thought…"

"Pikachu and Froakie are down," Viola said, "surrender now, Ash Ketchum."

"I thought that was my line," Ash said, and he whistled.

The ceiling cracked, and plaster rained down from above. Viola, Alexa, Serena, Joltik, and Noivern all looked up at it. "Hera!" Heracross said. Serena glanced at him and saw that it had just KO'd Vivillion.

"Joltik, Spider Web!" Serena ordered, entangling Heracross. Then she looked at Ash. "Ketchum-"

The ceiling shuddered again, and outside came a horrible roar. "Professor Sycamore left some very interesting rocks outside," Ash said, holding up one arm and indicating a gemstone on his wrist.

Alexa and Viola's eyes both widened. "Serena, stop him!" Viola yelled as Alexa yelled, "Noivern, Dragon Pulse!"

But Pikachu burst out of its web in time to deflect Joltik's next Spider Web, and then it charged full-tilt, bristling with electricity, at Noivern. "Charizard! Come to me!" Ash yelled grandiosely as he pressed down on the rock.

The ceiling exploded, and a Charizard smashed through the roof. Except now it was pitch-black, with bright blue flames coming out of its tail and mouth. It looked stronger and more terrible than ever before. "No!" Alexa said, "Noivern-"

And then with one Dragon Pulse, Noivern was KO'd with a blast so powerful a crater was left in the floor where Noivern was. The walls were cracked, and the cracks grew when Pikachu tackled Alexa and smashed her into the wall again. "Alexa!" Viola yelled.

"Don't worry, Pikachu won't hurt her permanently," Ash said casually, "probably a few broken ribs at best." He glanced at Serena and said, "bye Serena. Hope to meet you again." He returned his KO'd and trapped Pokémon. Pikachu leapt onto his shoulder and he walked over to a motionless, distraught-looking Viola.

Ash reached into Alexa's pants pocket and pulled out a badge. "Thanks," he said, "see ya around, Viola. Thanks for the pictures. The Boss'll be happy."

And then he laughed as he stepped onto Charizard's outstretched hand and they flew off. A second later, a hot air balloon shaped like a Meowth followed after him.

Serena and Viola's daze wore off, and the two ran over to Alexa. "Alexa!" Viola cried.

"I'm… I'm fine…" Alexa said, slowly shifting up. "Damn, it hurts… is Noivern?"

"Just knocked out," Serena said.

Alexa nodded. "Get her to the Pokémon Center. I need to see a doctor…"

"I'll go get one!" Viola yelled. She ran off.

Serena looked from Alexa to the retreating Rockets and back. "What do they want!?" Serena said, "did they even manage to steal any Pokémon!?"

"Heh… I bet not," Alexa said. "But I don't think they were trying to either…"

"What?"

"They might be on to the same thing as me…" Alexa said. She stood up, returned Noivern, and then shifted her shirt up to examine the bruises on her sides. "Trying to steal what Viola and I have uncovered."

"Uncovered on what?" Serena said as she started helping Alexa walk away from the now smoke-filled corridor she had been slumped next to.

"More like on who," Alexa said. She smiled slightly and said, "and the who, of course… that'd be Team Flare."

* * *

Ash waited, cross-armed, in the balloon. Jessie, James, and Meowth were all keeping watch and rather quiet for now. Charizard was resting in his Pokéball.

He glanced up when Mewtwo teleported in. "Did you find it?" he said.

"They're looking for something, but I couldn't figure out what," Mewtwo replied. "What about you?"

Ash glanced at Meowth. "Someone's been transmitting data from their little operation ta Team Flare," Meowth said, gesturing at the burning gym behind them. "Who, I don't know."

"There was no sign that Alexa or Viola were behind it," James said. "However…"

"The question is how far the rot extends in Kalos," Ash said. He glanced at Sceptile, who was leaning back, his straw in his mouth. "And what's your excuse?"

"Scept."

"I do _not_ need a girlfriend," Ash said, rolling his eyes. "You do this every region."

Sceptile shook its head and said nothing.

"Boss," Jessie said, "say that Viola was taking all those pictures for Team Flare. What do they all mean then?"

Ash glanced down at one of the stolen pictures on his tablet. It was just a rock, albeit one with a strange texture… almost as if something was on it, like a Kecleon. "I don't know," Ash said. He glanced at Mewtwo. "What do you think?"

"I have no more idea than you," Mewtwo replied. He also looked at the picture and said, "perhaps the legends of this region should be investigated."

"Is there anything at all you know about what they're tryin ta find, sir?" Meowth said.

Mewtwo glanced at Meowth. "Just that they call it _Le Meilleur des mondes_ ," Mewtwo said.

"What's that?" Jessie said.

"It's French," James replied after a second of thought, "and it's the French title for a book called _Brave New World_."

The balloon continued on into the night.


End file.
